Shoe and process of making the same



vJuly 16, 1946. J. J. WALSH SHOE AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME FiledMarch 25. 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 4 MW J M July 16, 1946. 4 J. ALSH2,404,150

' SHOE AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Filed March 25, 1944 2 Sheets-Shet2 Patented July 16, 1946 UNITED STATE v2,404,150 I s PATENT *OFF'ICESHOE AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Application March'25, 1944, SerialNo. 528,078

3 Claims. (01. 12-142) invention relates to a new and useful improvementin shoes and to the process of making the same. I

My invention has forits primary objectv the provision of a shoe.requiring for its production only a few process operations which arereadily efiected with ease,-accuracy, and precision by relativelyunskilled workers. and with consequent savings in labor costs and theelimination of losses by reason of faulty and rejected shoes.-

My invention has for a further object-the provision of-a shoe throughand by the employment of the process-operations mentioned which issimple and sturdy in structure, which is soft and comfortable on thefoot, which is light in weight and attractive in appearance, and whichis efficiently serviceable.

And with the above and otherobjects inview, my invention resides in thenovel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination'ofparts and in the unique steps or process of shoe production allpresently described and pointed out in the claims. l In the accompanyingdrawings (two sheets):

Figures 1 to 5, both inclusive, illustratein plan or perspective some ofthe e1ements, namely, the insole-cover, the upper, and'theinsole,employed in the construction, and forming'part, of a shoe oflmyinvention; l-

Figure 6 illustrates the'insole of Figure 5 as partially marginallyskived on its under face and equipped with a so-called shank-stiffener,as embodied in the finished shoe;

Figure 7 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of theshank-stiffener-equipped and marginally skived insole of Figure 6;

Figure 8 illustrates in perspective the upper of Figure 4 marginallyjoined to the marginally nicked insole-cover of Figure 2 forconnection,in turn, as a unit with the insole of Figures 6 and '7;

Figures 9 to 15, both inclusive, illustrate the several successiveprocess steps involved in joining the connected upper and insole coverofFigure 8 with the insoleof Figure 7 Figure 16 is an inverted, partlybroken plan view of the partiallyfinishedshoe;

Figure 17 is a reduced side elevational View of a finished shoeconstructed in accordance with and embodyingmy invention; and

Figure l8.isa transverse sectional view of the finished shoe takenapproximately on the line l8--l8, Figure 1'7. Referring now more indetail and by reference characters to the. accompanying drawings, whichare illustrative both of a practical embodiment of,=a shoe of mypresentainventi-on and of its method or process of manufacture orproduction,

the present shoe is built up on a soecalled cov;-'

ered insole as a'gfoundation, as it may be said, without the employmentor use, during the first steps of its production, of a last.

To such end, I provide a section or pieceA of cloth, thin leather, orother-readily 'oreasily' flex ible fabric or material out toand havingthe general outline or contour and dimensions of,the outer sole of theparticular shoe being manufactured, as is best seen in Figure l.

Such material-section A becomes, as presently appearing and as it maynow be designated, the shoe-insole cover, and to facilitate subsequentmarginal underfolding of the insole-cover A on and about theshoe-insole, the cover A is preferably nicked or notched, as at I,around the heel, the toe, and at the base of the, ball and at otherselected points along its margin, as shown in Figure 2. i

Depending then upon vthe desired sizev and contour of the particularshoe, the insole-cover A is suitably, either. by an operator, orworkerfor otherwise, marked or indexed, as at 2, 2, through;

- course, that the insole C is approximately of the,

out, for the most part; its shank and ball-por-v tion and in; suitableadjacence to its margin,-, as shown in Figure 3, so asyto affordor-provide not only a visual pattern for indicating'to the operator theline ofattachment in subsequently sewing or stitching the-upper B,Figure 4, to the insole-cover A, but also a marginal portionj 3',f01insoleunderfolding, as presentlyappearsu 1 r The upper E; Figure 4, isfirst cut and otherwise constructed to approximately conform to thecontour, shape,- and size required in thefinished shoe. Such upper Bwill, of course, comprise any: suitable marginally flexible material andmay, while in the present instance illustrated as of the open heel andopentoe type, shape, or design, equally well be of closed heel andclosed we or other desired or selected type, shape, or design,andsuitably surface embellished or ornamented. Sufficenow merely to saythat, as shown in' Figure 8, the particular upper B is preferably bylines of thread stitches l projected vertically or at right angles, asit may be said, through the cover A and upper B stitched at and alongits lower opposite side margins 5, 5, to, and along the indicated'orpattern stitch-line -2 of, the

insole-cover A. Thus, I provide, as. a unit, the I combined insole coverand upper illus'tratedin Figure 8 for incorporation, as soon appears, in

the finished shoe: V

C designates an insole of any approved or standard type, which, aszis'customary, includes the insole-cover A and precise size and contour ofthe finished shoe and is then disposed flatwise, as indicated inFigures9 and 10, on the preferably adhesively coated under face of theinsole-cover A and to which cover A the insole C is adhesively orotherwise per,- manently fixed throughout fromtoe to heel, as indicatedin Figure 10. a I

With the parts A, B, and C so joinedor united one to the other,preferably only that part of the marginal portion 3 of the insole-coverA which extends from and around the heel to the base ofvthe ball thereofis suitably coated with adhesive, as indicated in Figure 11, andthenturned or folded under and adhesively fixed fiat-' wise to and uponthe corresponding marginal portion of the insole C,as is indicated inFigure marginal nicks or notches I.

, i T4] c. a flexible marginal portionthroughout for insoleunderfoldin'g, and it is to be understood that other changes andmodifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination ofthe several parts of the shoe, as well as changes also in its steps ofmanufacture or production, may be made and substituted for those hereinshown and del scribed without departing from the nature and V principleof my invention.

T '12, siiChunderfolding being facilitated by the a A last D of theproper size and contour, de-

pending upon the desired size, contour, and shape of the finishedshoe,'is then disposed within the upper B and upon the upper face of theinsolecover A, as shown in Figure 13, such disposition "of the last Dbeing greatly facilitated by the fact that the upper B, as stitched orunited to the insole cover A, is, as it may be said, initially someHaving thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLettersPatent is:

1, That process of shoe production which includes the provision of aninsole-cover having approximately the contour of the finished shoe,providing an upper also having the approximate dimensions and shapedesired in the finishedfshoe, then securing the upper marginally tm and,M the upper face and at a selected distan'c e" from the outer edge of,the cover for joining the cover and upper and providing a'margirialportio'rlffor insole underfolding,,then disposing an insole to anduponthe under'face of the insole-cover, then underfolding and'secu'ringsaid marginal cover what oversize, and then, to insure subsequentprecise lasting, tacks or other temporary secur ing members 9 arepreferably disposed through the insole C and insole-cover A and into thelast D, as indicated in Figure 14.

With the last D so-disposed in co-operative relation to the joinedinsole-cover A, upper B, and insole C, the remaining part of themarginal portion 3 of the insole-cover A is on its under face equippedor coated with suitable adhesive, as'also indicated in Figure l4, and isthenwith the attached marginal portions of the upper B pulled around andfolded uriderand preferably adhesively fixedto and upon thecorresponding marginal portionof the insole C, such underfolding of themarginal insole-cover portion 3 being again facilitated by marginalnicks or notches l and lasting the upper B'to approximately theprecise-fit required or desired in the finished shoe EillustratedinFigure 17. When so underfolded, the marginal portion notonly of thecover, but also of the upper are concealed between the outer sole andinsole. V I H The temporary securing tacks 9 are thereupon removed, andan outer sole F of the desired shoecontour, design, and shape is thenadhesively or otherwise suitably ,fixedflatwise to and upon the underface of the insole C and over, and thereby concealing, theunderfolded-marginal portions of upper 'B, as is best seen in Figures 16and 18.

' It will be understood, of course, that the shoepartsfor elements arepermitted to stand from time to timeduring the production of the shoe 1to allow the adhesive or cementitious binding or securingmaterial to dryand harden, and in due course a heel G is suitably affixed at thedesired location to and upon the under face of the outer sole when thefinished shoe E illustrated in Figure 17 results, a shoe which, inproduction and in form; fit, and appearance meets and fulfills theobjects stated.

Imay-add that, if the upper of the particular shoe be of the closedheeland closed toe type, as

indicateclin dash-lines inFigure 17, the particular upper Willthroughoutits margin be correspondingly stitched to the insole-cover A,as-indicated by dash-lines in Figure 3, seas to provide lie in theregion of the ball portion of th g portionjand upper portion partiallyto and upon the under face of the insole, disposing a'last within theupper and upon the eovenand then pulling and folding the remaining partof said upper and cover marginal portion under and securing the same tothe insole.

2. That process of shoe production which in portion and upper'portion'partially to and upon 7 the under face ofth'e insole, disposing falastwitli in the upper'and upon the coveig; then pulling and folding theremaining part of"said upperand cover marginal portion ;underendTsecunng the sameto the insole, and then securing an outer sole toand upon the outer face ofthe insolefin such manner as to concealtherebetw'eenth'e un derfolded marginal portions of the insolefcp'verand upper. d g V 3. The process of making a shoe which includes theprovision of an insole} cover having apprbxi mately the contour of thefinished shoe,'cuttin'g a plurality of spaced slits for a short distanceradially inwardlyifrom 'the peripheral margin-of the cover along thoseportions of itslength"which when finished, providing an upper alsohaving; the approximate dimensions and shapedesirediin the finishedshoe, securing the uppermarginally'to and upon the upper face of thecover at a selected distance from the outer'edge thereofby a li ne ofstitches spaced inwardly from the internabends of said slits,adhesivelyjoining the c'overto an insole, disposing a last within the upperand'up'on V the cover, folding the marginal edges of thecovertogether-with themarginal edgesof the'upper secured thereto over andaroundthe peripheral edge of the insole, and finally 'securingan outersole "upon the under face of the innerflsole and against the underturnedmarginalportiorls of the 7 cover and upper;

. JOHN Ween

